Maryland refocused their sites on the NCAA Tournament by thrashing Clemson at the Comcast Center 72-59. City College product Nick Faust played his best game of the season, scoring 18 on 7-10 shooting. Faust’s jumper was particularly effective as he went 4-7 from beyond the arc. Faust’s hot shooting anchored a smooth offensive performance for Maryland, who as a team limited turnovers and shot 47% from the field.

Maryland’s offensive production again went hand-in-hand with their committment to the inside game. The Terps fed the rock to their big men and they responded. The frontcourt rotation of Alex Len, Shaq Cleare, Charles Mitchell, and James Padgett accounted for 33 points on 50% shooting. Alex Len was again an offensive focus, taking 10 shots. Though he only converted on four of these, the double teams he receives and his presence as an offensive threat allows for open jumpers for the Terps guards. The other three bigs were active offensively as well and all received more minutes yesterday than they had in the B.C. loss. The 4 bigs anchored a dominant rebounding performance and Maryland out rebounded Clemson 39-29. It was a solid game up front, further proving that Maryland’s real strength is on the low post.

The game was a must win for the Terps, who still sit upon the proverbial NCAA tournament bubble. There are now four games remaining, three of which are on the road. If Maryland can win 3 of these and then one game in the ACC Tournament, the Terps should have enough to get in. Which means Maryland has got to take yesterday’s solid play on the road. There can be no more B.C. type hiccups. It’s time for this team to grow up, and besides Dez Wells, it’s hard to find a leader on this team. Someone needs to take Wells’ lead and step up as a second true team captain. Without Wells’ presence this team would be lost in it’s own immaturity. But all great leaders need a number 2. Maybe Nick Faust can use this performance to set himself up for a leadership role. It makes sense. Coach Turgeon has said several times that he is always challenging Faust to focus defensively and to work harder on his offensive mechanics. Faust displayed the fruits of his labor against Clemson, and if he can harness some consistency in his game, maybe he can set an example for the other young players on this team.

Regardless of who steps into the leadership void, the Terps must find a way to produce. The road and Georgia Tech await Wednesday.